Are We Too Clean?

How many times a week do we need to shower?

17:16 22 January 2016

There have been conflicting views as to how many times a week we should shower. While others advocate showering everyday, some say that too much of it can damage the hair and the skin due to product build-up.

 

According to Professor Stephen Shumack, the president of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, people should shower only when they need to. “It's only in the last fifty to sixty years (since the advent of bathrooms with showers) that the idea of a daily shower has become commonplace. The pressure to do that is actually social pressure rather than actual need. It's become popular because of the social need to smell good. But it's only the glands in your armpit and groin that produce body odour. They're not all over the body.”

 

“Overwashing causes 'defatting' of the skin – getting rid of the natural body oils we produce to protect the skin cells. This can cause actual damage making them more permeable to bacteria or viruses, precipitating itchy skin, dryness, flakiness and worsening conditions like eczema.”

 

Another professor, John Oxford at Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, agrees. 'As long as people wash their hands often enough and pay attention to the area of the body below the belt, showering or bathing every other day would do no harm.”